CTA opens first new downtown 'L' station in decades

The station is expected to accommodate more than 10,000 daily rides.Photo – CTA's Flickr account (shared under Creative Commons)

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) late last week opened the Washington/Wabash Station, which marks the first new downtown "L" station in 20 years.

Built between Madison and Washington streets, the $75 million station replaces two existing ones built more than 120 years ago. The new station is fully accessible for riders with disabilities, CTA officials said in a press release.

The Washington/Wabash Station includes four elevators, an escalator and a platform that's wider than most others in Chicago's downtown Loop. The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) built the station.

The station will serve as a gateway to nearby Millennium Park and the east Loop, CTA officials added.

"This modern, bright and spacious rail station is another important step toward our goal of enhancing public transit options throughout the city," said CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. "We are delighted to have partnered with CDOT to create this fully accessible, architecturally significant new station that will serve Chicago and its visitors for decades to come."

The Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple rail lines will serve the station, which is expected to accommodate more than 10,000 daily rides. The station also will improve travel time around the Loop for passengers and lower maintenance and operational costs for the CTA, agency officials said.